Damper-operating mechanism.



R. ROBERTS. DAMPER OPERATING MECHANISM.

1 APPLICATION FILED JUNE 3, 1915.

Patented July 11, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

R. ROBERTS. DAMPER OPERATING MECHANISM. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 3, I9I5. 1 1 gm w, Patented July 11, 1916.

' 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

38 Jnveuloz RICHARD ROBERTS, 01E FOREST CITY, PENNSYLVANIA.

DAMPER-OPERATING MECHANISM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 11, 191 6..

Application filed Juneggi, 1915. Serial No. 31,916.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, RICHARD ROBERTS, a

citizen of the United States, residing at Forest City, in the county of Susquehanna, State of Pennsylvania, have invented oer-'- tain new and useful Improvements in Damper-Operating Mechanism, of which the following is a description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof.

My invention relates to a combined time controlled damper shiftingmechanism and alarm, and has for its object to provide a durable, simple and positive mechanism including mechanical and electrical means to automatically shift the draft dampers of .a

stove at a predetermined time, and also notify the occupants of the house .by an alarm that said shifting of the dampers has been performed, means also being provided for the operation of the mechanism prior to the time previously set for its automatic or time controlled operation.

Another object in View is to proyide means whereby an alarm will be automatically setto operate when the dampers are shifted,

said alarm being altogether distinct from the clock alarm and may therefore be operated either before or after the clock alarm, and will continue tosound until cut off, this being in distinction to an alarm given by a clock which often runs down and stops before it arouses the person for whom the alarm was intended.

. These and other objects in view will appear in the specification and be finally pointed out in the claims.

Similar numerals of reference, indicate corresponding parts in all the figures of the drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improved mechanism shown applied to an ordinary type of kitchen range. Fig. 2 is a detail perspective view of the mechanism on an enlarged scale omitting the tripping and alarm circuit wiring. Fig. 3 is a detail ver-' 'tical section taken through the weighted tripping chain-guide. Fig. 4 is a detail'side ;elevation of the circuit maker and breaker E with the operating Weight'abrove.

Reference being had to the drawings by numerals, 1 indicates an ordinary type of kitchen range having the pipe damper 2 and an upper draft reducing slide damper 3 and the lower draft increasing slide damper 4. I

As shown, the parts are in the position they will be placed in at night and are as follows: dampers 2 and 3 open and damper 4 closed, thus being in a position to continue the fire in the stove at a uniformly low state with very little consumption of fuel and needing no attention during an extended period or throughout the night. A support in the form of a low platform 5 is provided in rear and to one side of the stove on which is mounted parts? of. the trip mechanism. Mounted firmly on the floor to one side of the platform is a socket 6 in which the lower end of a supporting bracket arm 7 is mounted for Vertical adjustment, said arm being maintained in its adjusted position by the winged lock bolt 8. The bracket arm is bent, as shown at 9, in a manner to bring its horizontal extension 10 into the proper alinement with parts that will be described later, said extension 10 being provided at its outer end with a bifurcated bearing 11 consisting of perforated ears through which a bearing pin is inserted. An oscillating lever 12 is mounted a short distance above its lower end in the bearing 11 and has secured to its extreme lowerend at 13, the damper operating arm 14, said arm being provided at its outer end with a hook 15 adapted to engage the knob 16 of the lower slide damper 4. A damper operating arm 17 secured at one end to the oscillating lever 12 at 18 is also provided with a hook 19 at its outer end for engagement with a knob 20 on the upper slide damper 3.

The upper end of oscillating lever 12 is V bent, as shown at 21, to bring its upper extreme end into the proper position to be connected by link '22 .to the long arm of a bell crank 23. Said bell crank is mounted in a bracket 24 secured to the stove, the short arm of the bell crank being connected by rod 25 to the movable member of the pipe damper 2. A handle 26 is mounted on the oscillating lever 12 for convenience in setting the parts in the position shown in the drawings or preparatory for automatic -movement-. A flexible pull cord or chain 27 is secured to the rear end of the damper opcrating arm 14 and is mounted for sliding movement in a tubular guide 28 mounted on the platform 5, said platform being provided with an opening in line with the bore of the tubular guide through which the pull cord or chain 27 extends, and to the lower end of chain 27 is secured an operating r l l weight 29 adapted to be suspended when the parts are, as shown,

ed on the platform, the hinged armature 31 of which is connected at its free end by i link 32 to a detent 33 mounted on the plat- I form, said detent being in a position and of a form to hold the trigger bar 34 in its depressed position. The trigger bar 34 is pivotally mounted on the platform at 35' with its free end, when the parts are set for trip- .ping, caught beneath the detent 33. A flexible connection 36 such as light chain similar to pull cord or chain 27, is connected at i one end to the trigger arm 34 intermediate its ends and passes up into the guide tube with a binding post 28 through a tubular extension 37 thereof, and is connected to the chain 27 at 38 and is adapted, when the parts are set with the trigger bar 34 held depressed by detent 33, to. hold the weight 29 in its upper suspended position, with the pull chain 27 in its slacked off position, the operating arm 14 forward and lower slide damper 4 closed.

The circuit maker and breaker consists of the mounting board 39 and make and break contact posts 40 and 41. A resilient arm 42 of electro-conductive material is mounted on the board 39 in electric communication common post for either the tripping or the the clock may be set.

0 one side of alarm 56,

alarm circuit. The resilient arm 42 is provided with an enlarged or widened portion 44 which is in a position directly beneath the weight and on which the weight falls when the parts are tripped, said' weight forcing the free endof the arm out of electrical contact with post 40 and into electrical contact with post 41. Post .40 is electrically connected by wire 45 throughypost 46 to one side of magnet 30, from the other side of magnet 30, through post 47, electric connection is made through wire 48 with one post of the clock 49, said clock being of the ordinary form used to close a circuit at any time for which Binding post 43 of the circuit maker and breaker is electrically connected through wire 50'? to one side of the battery 51, the opposite pole of battery 51 being electrically connected by wire 52 to the unoccupied post of the clock.

Battery 51 acts as electro-motive force not only for the tripping circuit, as above described and designated by A, but it actsin.

for the alarm circuit. conductor wire 54 is cut-out switch 55 to the other side of alarm 56 being connected by conductor wire 57 to binding post 41 of the circuit maker and the same capacity From the battery connected through breaker.

If for any reason it is desired to operate @5 the tripping mechanism before the time set ,for its operation by the clock, the circuit directly over the cirton 58, said push cuit maker and breaker beneath the plat: form. An electro-magnetic coil 30 is mount-' 43, said post 43 being a may be closed by operating the push butbutton being connected by conductor wire 59 to conductor 48 and by conductor wire 60 to counductor 52, thereby shunting the clock and closing the circuit through the push button. For convenience, the clock 49 and push button 58, as well as the alarm 56 and cut-out switch 55, may all be placed in a bed-room.

The operation is as follows: When it is desired to leave the stove in a position in which the fuel will be consumed at a low rate for a relatively long period and at the expiration of said period, it is desired to increase the draft and cause the fire to burn upas rapidly as possible, the parts are set as follows: By handle 26, lever 12 is forced into the position shown in the drawin s with the pipe damper 2 open, upper sli e damper 3 open and the lower slide damper 4 closed, at the same time, weight 29 is elevated slacking down on chain 36 and allowing trigger bar 34 into a position in which detent 33 will be caught over its free end and hold said bar 34 to fall in its depressed position, said trigger arm, when caught beneath the detent, acting to hold the Weight in its elevated position by chain 36 owing to its connection with pull chain 27 at the point indicated at 38.

ith the weight suspended in the manner described, the lever 12 with arms 14, 1'7 and 22 will remain in the positions they are placed in until operated by the fall of the weight.

When the tripping circuit is completed by the clock 49 or by the push button 58, magnet 30 is energized, armature 31 thereof is attracted by the coil and moves to pull by means of the link 32, the 'detent 33 out of engagement with the trigger bar 34 and allow the weight to fall, which by means of the pull chain 27 swings lever 12 in the direction of the arrow, thereby closing the pipedamper 2 and upper slide damper 3, at the same time opening lower slide damper 4, thereby placing the dampers in a position to increase the draft through the fire and cause it to burn u When weight 29 falls and operates the dampers, as above tact with the upper surface of resilient arm 42 of the circuit maker and it to drop and break its electrical connection with contact post 40 and make an electrical connection with contact post 41. In the position of the parts last described, the tripping circuit, includin the clock 49 and coil 30 is broken between the post 40 and post 43 of the circuit breaker. I

When the arm 42 of the circuit maker and breaker is lowered by the weight and in contact with post 41, the tripping circuit will be broken but alarm circuit B will be closed and the alarm 56 will sound and continue to do breaker, causing so until the cut-out switch 55 is operated to break the circuit at this point and stop the alarm, the operation of the cut-out switch requiring the attendant to leave his bed which thoroughly arouses him and at the same time he is positive, owing to the sounding of the alarm, that the weight has fallen and the dampers have been moved, it being, of course, understood that if for any reason it would be preferable not to have the alarm sound, switch 55 may be left open at the time the parts are set for operation. By so doing, circuit A will in no way be affected, since it is entirely complete and will operate independent of circuit B.

Further, by having an alarm attached in the manner described, said alarm being sounded upon the movement of the dampers to the position indicated, if for any reason, the mechanism is accidentally tripped during the night, thereby endangering the lives of the occupants of the house from fire due to an overheated stove, the dropping of said weight will without failure sound the alarm and continue to do so until stopped.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is 1. In an attachment for stoves having dampers above and below the fire-pot, operating means therefor comprisin a pivoted lever, a rigid connection there rom to the upper damper, a rigid connection therefrom at the opposite side of its pivot to the lower damper, an operating weight, a connection therefrom to the lower end of said lever, a tripping device for supporting and releasing said weight, and a time controlled electric circuit for releasing said tripping device.

2. In an attachment for stoves having dampers above and below the fire-pot, operating means therefor comprising a pivoted lever, a rigid connection therefrom to the upper damper, a rigid connection therefrom atthe opposite side of its pivot to the lower damper, an operating weight, a connection therefrom to the lower end of said lever, a tripping device for supporting and releasing said weight, a time controlled electric circuit for releasing said tripping device, and an electric alarm circuit having means in the path of movem t of said weight to break the tripping circ lit and establish the alarm circuit.

3. In an attachment for stoves having dampers above and below the fire-pot, operating means therefor comprising a pivoted lever, a rigid connection therefrom to the upper damper, a rigid connection therefrom at the opposite side of its ivot to the lower damper, an operating weight, a connection therefrom to the lower end of said lever, a tripping device for'supporting and releasing said weight, a connection from the upper end of said lever to operate a draft pipe damper simultaneously with the movement of the fire-pot dampers, and a time controlled electric circuit for releasing said tripping device.

4. In an attachment for stoves having dampers above and below the fire-pot, operating means therefor comprising a pivoted lever, a rigid connection extending therefrom above the pivot to the upper damper, a rigid connection therefrom extending from the opposite side of its pivot to the lower damper, an operating weight, a chain connection from said weight to said lever,

leasing circuit and establish the alarm circuit.

6. In a damper controlling mechanism, damper operating means, means for automatically shifting the same in one direction, a time controlled electric circuit for re leasing said shifting means, an electric alarm circuit, and a circuit breaker disposed to be operated by said shifting means and arranged to break the releasing circuit and establish the alarm circuit.

7. In a damper controlling mechanism, damper operating means, a weight for shifting the same in one direction, a time controlled electric circuit for releasing said weight, an electric alarm circuit, and a circuit breaker comprising contacts with both of said circuits and adapted to be shifted from contact with one circuit to the other.

8. In a damper controlling mechanism, damper operating means, a weight for shifting the same in one direction, a tripping lever adapted to support said weight, means 

